There came instantly the mellow alarm of the bell above.
“Cripes, that’s sudden action for you,” he exclaimed. “I hardly pressed my finger on the match when the bell rang. It must be set on some sort of hair-trigger.”
Almost immediately the water in the channel dwindled and ceased to flow.
“That’s certainly a novel device,” declared the inspector as he stood with the others of the party staring at the stream-bed where the last trickle of water had vanished.
“Watch while I let it loose again,” cried Lynch. “Keep back, everybody, for she certainly comes down hell-bent when she’s opened.”
“Hold on! Don’t touch it!”
Inspector Little and Louis Hammond, certain they caught the sound of voices somewhere above, yelled it in unison.
But there was no stopping the irrepressible Lynch. The gong sounded again, followed by the roar of the released torrent.
From up the channel there came a man’s hoarse shout and the piercing scream of a woman.
“Shut off the water, you damned idiot!” shouted Inspector Little.